11 months

Our big boy is now 11 months old!! He's still such a sweet little guy. He loves being with people, likes to be held, carted around, and does great out on errands (except when he starts to get tired). But mostly he's just a dream and I'm enjoying every bit of this "baby stage" (it's gonna be over WAY too soon)!

Some things about this past month:
* Teething!! It was terrible this month (high fevers, tons of night wakening, lots of ibuprofen given)! He's now got a whooping 8 teeth (crazy since his sisters didn't get their first until a year old)!

* Cal's got a huge appetite!

* Only nursing in morning, before afternoon nap, and before bed (not sure he's actually getting much- pretty sure it's mostly for comfort).

* Smiles on command (which is awesome for monthly photo shoots) and always has cute smiles for strangers! It's especially cute when he acts all shy and/or embarrassed and cocks his head to the side.

* Terrible sleeping this month- party due to teething, but Cals' definitely been my worst sleeper of the 3.

* Cal rarely plays with toys- he mostly just likes to explore. Climbing on and off Elle's trampoline is a favorite. His sisters like to jump with him, but Cal's not the biggest fan of it.

* Anytime I say "YAY!" Cal claps his hands. I love it!

* Waves anytime I say "bye bye" (another favorite of mine)

* Gets super excited to see his "Dada" and lights up when Spencer walks in the door from work. Cal instantly started waving and saying, "Dada Dada Dada."

* Correctly points to pictures in the book while reading

* Cal walks around furniture now and can stand unassisted for a couple seconds.

* Still takes 2 naps a day: roughly 9:30 - 11am and 2:15 - 4:30pm. Each nap is always at least an hour and a half, but usually two.

Still can't believe we're celebrating his 1st birthday next month!!

Disneyland!

Since moving to Camarillo about a year and a half ago, Spencer and I have been talking to the girls about going to Disneyland. We started a Disney incentive chart, did lots of bribing, always talked about going, but yet it never happened. Our original plan was to go before Elle turned 3 (so she'd be free), but  then Cal was born, summer came, school started, and one thing after another got in the way. Then one day out of the blue Spencer tells me that we're gonna go. He said he refused to be the parents that always "talk", but never "do." So Wednesday morning, at 6:30am, we woke the girls up and told them to get dressed cause we were going to Disneyland! Now let me preface all this by explaining what a big deal this was for our family. At almost 33 years old I had never been to Disneyland - even with living in Burbank for 2 years! I just never really had the desire and have always been too cheep to fork out the dough. Plus, I always thought of Disneyland as a place where parents go to spoil their kids (and back before I had any, I thought that was absolutely ridiculous)! Anyway, with that said, I think Spencer felt a tad of pressure to make sure the day was perfect for everyone. He did lots of research, got everything organized, and even typed up a detailed schedule for our day to keep us on track and ensure that we didn't miss anything. The schedule was fabulous and I love Spencer for taking the time to do it.

We actually ended up sticking to this schedule almost perfectly. 

I wish I could sit here and write about how magical Disneyland was and what a fabulous day we had and how we ended up buying season passes cause we want to go back all the time. But... that wasn't exactly my experience of Disneyland and I was having a hard time understanding how people with little children in tow could call it the happiest place on Earth. Cause in reality, even at Disneyland kids cry, complain, and tease their siblings. I really don't want to sound like a total pessimist on here, but for my record I do want to record what really went down and my honest thoughts and feelings. So, to be totally honest I felt Elle was too young (or just way too big of a scardy cat) to be there. She ended up being terrified of pretty much every ride (except for the carrousel- which was her absolute favorite), and always had something to whine or complain about. It was a warm day and the sun was really bright which I think added to Elle being uncomfortable (especially since she was insistent on wearing her dang long sleeve shirt). The lines weren't very long at all but even with short lines kids get antsy and tired. Spencer and I have come to the conclusion that we just don't have a very high tolerance for misbehavior and kids being annoying. When they're asked by a worker not to touch a certain rope or something, we expect them to listen and obey - not to continue to try and touch the rope (just an example). 

All in all it was a fun day, but I probably should have had my first experience alone with Spencer. Then I would have known what I was doing, where I was going, what the rides were like, and I wouldn't have been in a big rush to see it all.  The funny thing was that while we there there I was thinking about all the stuff that was annoying me (I really had incredibly high expectations for the day which was probably a bad idea), but then this morning when we woke up and were reminicing about our trip, all I could think about was how much fun we had. I honestly think that's what makes Disneyland a magical place - you only remember the happy stuff!

Here's some of my favorite's of the day:

* Arriving and seeing the castle. I'm like a little kid with stuff like this and get super excited!

* Meeting the princesses! The line was 45 min long, which at first I thought was crazy, but in the end it was totally worth it for these pictures!

At first Elle was nervous to go say hello. So glad she warmed up! 

We also saw Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty, but they were swapped out halfway threw for Ariel and Belle. Spencer had bought the girls little autograph books (from the $1 section at Target), as well as Disney coloring books for the drive down (he really is amazing and thought of everything)!

* This is probably my favorite picture of the whole day! It was such a wonderful feeling to see Elle so happy about riding "the horses." We ended up riding the carrousel 4 different times throughout the day.

* Going on rides with Madi was fun! She's at a great age for Disneyland and was a bit more adventurous. We rode the Matterhorn bobsleds together which she did NOT want to do again (a little too dark, scary, and jerky), but at least she was willing to give it a try! We also rode Mr. Toad's Wild Ride together (I talked her out of getting scared, Spencer didn't have as good of luck with Elle) as well as Pirates of the Caribbean (scary, but once I explained that none if it's real, she was better).

* We had to talk Elle into going on the Finding Nemo submarine voyage, but once she was on, she liked it. I think it helped that she knew the story line - she knew what to expect. This was the most relaxing ride for me.

* I waited in line to ride the rockets with Elle, but then she flipped out at the last minute and refused to get on. Spencer and Madi had a great time though and it made me happy to capture this picture of them.

* Meeting characters and getting signatures was fun - especially when there was no waiting involved! Notice how Elle didn't make it in either picture! I tell ya, she was scared about everything!

* I loved the jungle cruise!! I was amazed at how real everything seemed. Wish I could have done this ride another time.

* Going through Tarzan's treehouse was fun for the girls. I was just so amazed by so many things at Disneyland and finally understood why tickets are so expensive. The upkeep is incredible and I loved how clean and well manicured everything was.

* I was in awe with the details of everything at Disneyland. Take this fountain in Toontown for example- just a regular fountain with a mouse conducting some instruments. But then we notice that there are metal plates all around the fountain with instruments on them. If you step on the metal plate, it makes the sound of that particular instrument. So fun! The girls had a great time jumping on the metal plates!

* I rode Indiana Jones by myself as a single rider. It was an amazing ride! On the ride I sat next to a mom with her teenage daughters. I loved hearing them excitedly talking about the ride afterwards and it made me excited thinking about coming back with my kids when they're older.

* The parade was incredible!! Probably was of my favorite things of the day. At one point I turned to look at the girls and here's what I saw:

They look totally bored, but they were truly completely mesmerized by it all. 

The entire day was a lot to take it. I think the key to Disneyland is to go for a weekend and be able to take breaks during the day. Then by going again and again kids get used to all the rides, know what's scary, and know how to handle it. I wasn't thinking I'd want to go back anytime soon, but now as I write this I'm already getting excited for our next adventure to the Magical Kingdom!!!  

Little things

I took our Christmas cards down this week. I would have left them up another month or two if Cal didn't rip the lower ones off every time he crawled past. Now the kitchen seems bare and I already miss seeing some of my favorite people on a daily basis.

Madi's kindergarten teacher is the best! She's currently working with me on some stuff that Madi's going through (stomach aches every morning, before recess, and lunch- thinking it has to do with friends). I love how genuinely concerned she is over Madi's sensitivities. 

I love serving in primary! Working with the kids makes me happy, and it's such a treat running into them at school. Also, having amazing counselors and secretary is a huge bonus and makes my life a whole lot easier!!

Elle is fun to shop with. Conversation from the dressing room- me trying on workout pants:
Me: "I think they're too tight."
Elle: "They're supposed to be tight mom."
Love her! Actually she and Calvin are easy to take places. It's putting a third kid in the mix when things start to get interesting.

A couple weeks ago Madi insisted we go pick up trash on our walk to the park. We ended up with 2 bags full of garbage! Good work Madi and Elle!

Elle can make Cal laugh the hardest- especially in the tub.

The police came to my house last week- to file a report about Elle and her friend walking too close to the street without us moms knowing where they'd gone. My friend was in tears and feeling like a bad parent. I was just super annoyed with the cop and wish they could do something more helpful then try to scare moms. But I do think Elle and I both learned a lesson that day and we'll probably both be a little more careful from now on.

Elle recently started asking to go to preschool, and I can already tell she's gonna be a great student! I love how she insists on doing homework with Madi after school.

Madi's got really nice handwriting. Makes me mad that I didn't save a writing sample from the beginning of the year. Some parents save all the work their kid brings home. I hang favorite pieces, then take a picture and toss. This piece is currently still hanging:

Cal desperately needs a hair cut. I found this picture in Spencer's phone and was dying over his crazy bed head! Pretty sure he'd just woken up from a late nap and was not happy about it!

Spencer took my old ghetto phone to work yesterday (one that I was very happy with) and came home with a surprise for me- a new iPhone!  I guess it's probably time for me to get use to the new age and new technology, but I secretly miss my old phone. 

Spencer and I got away on a date to the temple this morning. I'm embarassed to say how long it's been, but it sure felt good to get back. I sure do miss the DC temple though.

President's Weekend

We had family in town for the weekend. It's always a treat to hang out with Aunt Fay and Uncle Bob, but this trip Aaron, Holly, and Xavi came down too. I met Aaron once long ago, but it must have been very brief cause I have no recollection of it. This was Spencer and I's first time meeting Holly and Xavi though. They stayed at our house and we had a great visit. Holly was our chef for the weekend and gave me all the amazing recipes! We also hit up the beach, enjoyed watching the boys (Cal and Xavi- just 3 months apart) play together, and stayed up chatting and playing Monopoly Deal and Hearts. It was fun to get to know them better!

Our boys were such cute little buddies!


Cal still doesn't like the sand and ends up getting held a lot on beach outings!

The girls were quite pleased with the hole that Grandpa Al helped them dig. Dad dug so deep he actually hit water!

Bummed I never got a picture with the whole gang.  The girls had a blast collecting shells with Aunt Fay and we sure had a great time visiting with everyone! Thanks Aunt Fay, Uncle Bob, Aaron, and Holly for making the drive down for the weekend!

Valentines Day

Madi at drop off with her valentine for Mrs. Newton. Wish I would have taken a picture of the card she wrote. I think she wrote "I love you" like 5 times and said something about promising to never miss a day of school. It was super cute.

This year for Valentines Day we got the girls new outfits (don't usually do gifts, but I'd been out shopping and found a great deal).

Madi loved her new outfit and actually stayed in it all day (usually changes as soon as she's home from school and once or twice before). She's quite the poser and loves being in front of the camera.

 Elle of course changed multiple times before the day was over, but at least ended up in valentine wear. She also loves to have her picture taken, but mostly just because she gets sick of Madi wanting the spotlight. I believe she was trying to run away from Madi here to get a picture all by herself.

I was actually scheduled to work in Madi's classroom Valentine's Day and was really looking forward to it, but then Cal decided to have a terrible night with a high fever and hours of crying (oh the joys of growing teeth). I finally gave him ibuprofen at 4:30am and he slept til 8am. This threw off his schedule and I knew he'd need to go down for a nap right during the time I'd be at centers. So I had Amber go instead and I watched Clarissa.

I was glad to have the girls to celebrate the holiday with. We spent our week reading lots of valentine books, coloring valentine pictures, making boxes for both girls (cause of course Elle had to have one after Madi made hers), delivering goodies to the gals I visit teach, and hand delivering valentines to a couple of Elle's friends.

Love my sweet little valentines - who all decided to go into meltdown mode immediately after snapping this picture:

Once Thursday night rolled around, we were all tired out. Spencer and I spent our Valentine's night doing dishes together and watching Suits- totally romantic! :)

Grandpa Al

This post is dedicated to one of my most avid blog readers- Grandpa Al!  Oh how we've enjoyed living just 5 miles away, being able to celebrate holidays and birthdays together (pic below- celebrating Grandpa Al's birthday on January 28th):

Grandpa Al is always up for jumping on the trampoline (or being jumped on, on the trampoline!) 

He loves getting his hair styled and wears it with pride! He always makes sure to remind Madi that his hair is "blonde."

He loves fun games like dressing up as twins:

And he's always willing to pose for my picture requests!

We love you Grandpa Al

My experiment

I lay in bed last night feeling terrible about how annoyed I've been with Madilyn. Our relationship hasn't been at it's best and I'm completely exhausted with her at the end of everyday. As I lay there replaying the events of the day/week, conversations with Madi kept running through my mind... "Come on, let's go! Hustle up! You're gonna be late for school!" "NO, Do NOT change your clothes!" "You are NOT wearing that!" "That looks ridiculous!" "Leave her alone!" "Stop screaming!" "You're SO loud!" "Stop bugging Calvin!" "Get your homework done!" "You have a HUGE mess to clean up!" "You did your E's backwards again."

Wow! It was in that moment, in my bed at night, with unkind nagging words filling my head, that I felt like the worst mom ever. All of a sudden it was clear to me why things haven't been going so well with Madi - I haven't been filling her so called "emotional back account". Ya, I give lots of hugs and kisses, tell her how beautiful she is, read to her, check off her homework, compliment her nice handwriting, feed her, clothe her, bathe her, etc. but all that doesn't amount to much when a large part of my interactions with her haven't been exactly positive. It was then that I decided to consciously make some changes.

So today started my experiment.

My goal: to be positive, spend quality time, look her in eye when she's talking to me, think before I act and/or speak, and LOVE loVE LoVE her!!

Day 1: This morning while doing Madi's hair I asked her, "Do you know how many people love you?" She stopped, smiled, and began naming people. After a few minutes of this game Madi runs of out the room. Then she comes back with her binder, pen in hand, and a piece of paper with "LOVES ME" written at the top. She then proceeded to make a list of people who love her.

It was a great way for her to spend her morning. Much better then bugging Elle or changing her clothes a dozen times. Instead she was happy and busy. After school went much better as well. She and Elle colored together at the counter, so I took that moment to sit down at my computer and check email. But then I heard Madi get out her Bob books and start to read. Instead of enjoying the few moments of peace and quiet (like I normally do), I went in, sat next to Madi, and had her read to me, reminding her of what a great reader she is. My plan was working out quite nicely until I started making dinner (made a new enchilada recipe tonight). It was then that Madi's hyper, out of control, crazy loud behaviors started. Calvin was hysterically crying in one room while Elle kept running to me telling me Madi was scaring her. Madi was dancing around shaking a tin full of coins, reassuring me that it was helping Calvin calm down. Oh boy! I lost my cool for a minute. Luckily Spencer came home just in time.

We ended the night by letting Madi stay up 45 minutes later than Elle and watch home movies from her 1st birthday. It's one of my favorite things to do and such a great reminder of how sweet and innocent these little babes of ours are. I'm pretty sure we're always gonna have struggles with defiant, unruly behavior and I want to make sure that Spencer and I have a plan on how to deal with it and correct it.

So for my sake, I will continue to add updates to this post about things I've had success with.

Day 2 (Feb 9th): While Elle was on a date with Spencer, and Cal napping (a time I'd usually use to get stuff around the house done), I sat down at the counter with Madi to eat a snack. I loved how freely she talked to me about life. Don't even remember our conversation now, but I could feel how happy she was that I was actually sitting on the stool next to her and enjoying her company (something that sadly I rarely do- dinner is the only meal that I (sometimes) sit down for).
Day 3 (Feb 10th) Sunday- made a big deal about how reverent Madi was during primary (which I always do), but then I got down on Madi's level and looked her in the eyes when she told me about what they did in class.
Day 4 (Feb 11th) Day off of school for Madi, so I took the kids to the library. On our way home we stopped by Madi's school (the gate to the playground was open) for her to show us where she play's at recess. She was thrilled to "show us around"! When we got back home, I sat down with the girls (who had just earned 5 chocolate chips each for cleaning up while I layed Cal down for a nap) and read library books for an hour straight (and shocked that I didn't doze off even once)! Then tonight we had our family meeting (were at Boppi and Gpa Al's Sun night for dinner) and Madi set some great goals and really got into our value lesson. She thrives off this kinda stuff!
Day 5 (Feb 12th) Left Madi in charge of some "important jobs" (cleaning up the guest room) while I put Elle and Calvin to bed. I was in Cal's room for a long time (stories and nursing) and Madi kept herself busy the entire time. Many times she likes to come and bug me while I'm getting Calvin off to bed, so I made a really big deal about how responsible she was tonight and how happy it makes me when she chooses the right. Then instead of whisking her off to bed so I could have some much needed "me time", I had her sit on my lap at the computer to check out the forecast for the rest of the week. It's gonna be in the 70's, but mornings are always cooler so we chatted for a bit about what she could wear. Then I talked to her about jobs and earning money (we're not planning on starting our "family economy" until Madi turns 8, but I've been feeling like we need to get something going until then), and what she can do to earn some money for working extra hard and being responsible. I gave her a check register (realizing now that Spencer's probably gonna be ticked that I did this without him), showed her how to record the date, what she did to earn the money, and how much was earned. Then I pulled out a bag of clothes from an afternoon shopping trip and showed her a new long sleeve shirt (that's all Madi wears these days and she's only got 5 of them - most too small for her). I showed her how much it cost me and we talked about how she could earn enough money to buy it from me. Madi was glowing with excitement the entire time. She's such a smart little girl and she really does thrive when I give her added responsibilities.

In our family. . .

One thing I look forward to at the beginning of every month is checking the mail and finding this magazine:

I like to think that my girls get just as excited as I do. We usually get some snacks, snuggle on the couch, and read it cover to cover. I cry at least once while reading it, and the girls are left feeling good and inspired to be better. Just last week I was telling Spencer how anxious I was for "The Friend" to arrive, cause I needed some new reading material to motivate Madi (she's currently in her "hard" stage again). Luckily it arrived the next day! As we were reading, I was pleasantly surprised to find an article on following family rules (a perfect follow-up from our family meeting the previous Sunday)! So this week at our family meeting, we complied a list of "DO" and "DO NOT" rules. This whole thing is definitely a work in progress, but it has been nice not to have to yell at the girls to, "stay at the table", or "don't scream in the house"! Instead, I simply say, "In our family we don't scream in the house!" or "In our family we have good table manners".

With that said, here's the start of our DO / DO NOT list that we created Sunday:
In our family we DON'T. . .
- scare each other (there's been an issue with Madi scaring Elle)
- scream in the house (again, Madi... she's also got an extra loud voice these days)
- hit each other (one of the girls must have added this one but I promise it's not Spencer or I who have been doing the hitting!)
- jump on the couch
- draw on the couch, table, floor, or any other piece of furniture (another issue we had with Madi)
- say mean things
- have sleep-overs (it's so much better to have the child tell their friend, "In my family we don't have sleep-overs", than have the mom be the bearer of bad news)

DO
In our family we. . .
- sing (added by me- I'm determined to have a family of singers)
- love each other
- keep the Sabbath day holy
- go to the beach (at the end of last summer Madi started putting up a stink about going to the beach too much. Spencer quickly squelched her complaints and coined the phrase, "we are a beach family")
- jump on the trampoline (instead of the couch:)
- keep our house clean and orderly
- have good table manners (this was Spencer's - he goes crazy with the girls getting down from their seats before being excused, not eating much, and complaining about all their food.)
- pray and read the scriptures every day
- serve each other
- look out for one another
- share
- tell the truth

All these rules will eventually be simplified down to a few basic ones, and we still need to come up with consequences for breaking and/or incentives for obeying. Again, a work in progress!